Shahid Khaqan Abbasi becomes first Pakistan PM to fly military helicopter

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has become the first Pakistani Prime Minister to fly a military helicopter as he took the Turkish T129 for a test flight on Sunday.

Abbasi appreciated the Turkish helicopter as an "impressive and good machine" after taking the test-flight.

"Our army is evaluating the helicopter, and we are negotiating the contract and terms," The Express Tribune quoted Abbasi as saying to a question about Pakistan's plan to purchase T-129 helicopters manufactured by the Turkish Aerospace Industries.

He added that the Turkish defense production industry was one of the best in the world.

He also appreciated the Turkish aviation industry as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the achievements in defence production.

Earlier, he inspected the helicopter and was briefed by Turkish aviation officials about the specifications and technical parameters of the combat chopper.